Combined observation and speaking port



J. H. LEVERSEDGE COMBINED OBSERVATION AND SPEAKING PORT Oct. 13, 1936.

Filed Nov. 15, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JIZ ea lNvENToy ATTORNEY L llql o inf jazz.

Oct. 13, 1936. J. H. LEVERSEDGE 9,

COMBINED OBSERVATION AND SPEAKING PORT Filed Nov. 13, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 9 a w l d /////////////7/A L i ATTORNEY- Patented Oct. 13', 1936 PATENT OFFICE 2,057,239 COMBINED OBSER'ggTlFN AND SPEAKING John H. Leversedge, Decatur, Ala. Application November 13, 1935, Serial No. 49,571

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a combined observation and speaking port, and has for the primary object the provision of a device of this character which will permit separated persons to see and converse with each other and prevent physical contact of such persons or the passing from one person to another articles or materials and thereby provides a device extremely useful for jails or any penal institution so that jailers or officials in charge may readily control visitors to inmates or inmates relative to each other.

With these and other objects in view, this invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed. v

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, illustrating a combination observation and speaking port constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view'taken 0n the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view showing the construction of the voice box of the device.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view showing a modified form of my invention.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 1'I of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a rear elevation, partly in section, showing my modified form of invention.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral I indicates a baseor attaching plate drilled to receive fasteners for the securing thereof to a wall, door or some other part of a building and is provided with a comparatively large sight opening 2. Suitably secured to the base or attaching plate I and arranged about the sight opening is a frame 3'providing a mounting for a bullet-proof transparent panel 4, positioning the latter to close the sight opening and thereby prevent the passing of articles or materials through the sight opening, still providing clear observation of persons at opposite sides of the 7 device.

A voice box 5 is suitably secured to the frame 3 with a portion thereof projecting through an opening 6 in the base or attaching plate I so that the voice box is arranged to convey sounds or voices fromone side of the device to the opposite side. The top wall of the box 5 is provided with perforated inclined portions 1 arranged at opposite sides of the base or attaching plate I. The perforated portions of the box are separated from one another by a partition 8 forming in the box chambers 9 both of which may be emptied of foreign matter by a single cleanout plug l0 arranged in the bottom of the box. The chambers 9 are in communication with each other by a tube ll so as to convey sound from one chamber to the other. The tube 1 l surrounds the panel 4 and is suitably mounted in the frame 3 and has one end connected to one of the chambers and the other end connected to the other chamber. While the tube will admit sound from one chamber to the other it will prevent the passing of articles or materials from one chamber to the other.

Referring to my modified form of invention, as shown in Figures 5 to 8, the voice box I2 is constructed similarly to the voice box 5 and is secured to the plate I. The frame has formed therein a voice passage 14 extending about the sight panel and has one endin communication with one of the chambers of the voice box l2 while the other end is in communication with the other end of said voice box.

A device of the character described may be readily adapted to a wall of a cell or a door of the cell and will permit visitors and inmatesto converse and see one another and will prevent physical contact between the visitors and inmates and also prevent the transferring of materials or articles between the visitors and inmates, consequently permitting jail officials to readily control interviews between visitors and inmates without the danger of articles or materials being transferred between such persons.

Having described the invention, I claim:

A combined observation and speaking device comprising an attaching member having a sight opening, a frame secured to said attaching plate and surrounding the sight opening, a transparent panel closing said sight opening and supported by the frame, a voice box secured to the frame and having perforated portions located at opposite sides of the attaching member to permit sounds to pass from one side of the attaching member to the other, a partition located in the box and separating the perforated portions and defining in the box a pair of chambers, and a tube bent into annular shape mounted within the frame and extending above the sight opening and having the ends thereof connected to the chambers, and means for permitting removal of foreign matter from the chambers simultaneously.

JOHN H. LEVERSEDGE\ 

